Authentic cappuccino from a machine is made by adding foamed milk to black coffee thereby creating a white foam on the surface of the coffee. The foam becomes brown as sugar is stirred into the beverage. The degree of browness of the foam may depend on how the drink is stirred and may range from a streaky marbled appearance to completely brown.
In contrast to the appearance of an authentic cappuccino, cappuccinos prepared from instant powders as presently marketed typically do not form a white foam. Rather, a uniformly colored brown foam forms immediately upon reconstitution due not only to stirring, but also as a result of the fine coffee powder dissolving in the liquid between the foam bubbles.
In contrast to most instant cappuccino powders, U.K. Patent No. GB 2,301,015 discloses an instant cappuccino powder in which the foam remains substantially white. Maintaining the white foam color is achieved by delaying solubility of the coffee powder for about 5 to 10 seconds after addition of water. In order to create such delayed solubility, the coffee particles are coated with a coating which reduces solubility in water, such as coatings based on carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
The substantially white foam which results upon reconstitution of the soluble coffee beverage of G.B. 2,301,015 is not necessarily desirable since consumer research shows that, with respect to instant cappuccino powders, consumers significantly prefer a powder which, when reconstituted in water, forms a beverage having a foam with a non-uniform color, i.e., a marbled appearance, rather than a uniform brown or uniform white color.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an instant particulate dry mix beverage composition for producing a cappuccino beverage having surface foam with a marbled appearance which simulates the marbled appearance of authentic cappuccino, and to provide a method of preparation of the composition. The term "marbled" as used herein to describe the surface foam produced on cappuccino beverages prepared from the present dry mix compositions means that the foam includes brown streaks, swirls or points at the surface of a yellowish brown to white foam background.